


Love Trauma

by boxocats



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: ...Welp, Alternate Universe - Hospital, Brain Surgery, Break Up, Comfort Sex, F/M, Fluff, Fuzzy ears, Hospitalization, Hospitals, I hope... it's not stale, I've wanted to write this for a long ass time, Kite's one weakness, Neferpitou goes by Doctor Blythe, Neferpitou is a doctor, Parasites, Rating May Change, here we are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-15
Updated: 2018-06-10
Packaged: 2019-02-15 05:33:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 8,362
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13024293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/boxocats/pseuds/boxocats
Summary: The woman in front of him - whom he assumed was his caretaker - not only had fuzzy ears, but also a lively tail. She was used to this being pointed out every time a patient would wake up, but this time... she was slightly rattled as her nose shifted to a soft pink. "Er, um... Kite, yes? Am I saying it right? My name is Doctor Blythe. Uh, let's see..." After hustling and bustling around for her clipboard, she cleared her throat and straightened herself back up. "So, h-how are you feeling at this moment, Kite?"





	1. Chapter 1

"Kite, Kite. Say something, if you can hear me."

 

_"I hear you, but I can't speak."_

 

"If you can't say anything, squeeze my hand."

 

_"Please tell me where I am... Are you a doctor?"_

 

"You are in good company with us, Kite. Your breathing and heart rate is finally back to normal. Take all the time you need to fully wake up..."

 

_"Don't leave. I feel so constrained..."_

 

"Hm? Ah... Kite, you can stop squeezing my hand now..."

 

As he very slowly started coming to, he began to piece together what happened. He remembers now; he had been out on a biological survey and suddenly grown to be very ill. For some reason, everything after that was a complete blur. The taste of vomit protruded in his mouth, his head feeling as if it was being crushed under intense pressure. 

 

"Nnn... hh..." At last, he was able to open his eyes, but it took a good minute or two for them to fully adjust. The room was nothing but a bright white haze - definitely a hospital.

 

"Ahhh, you have fuzzy ears. Cute."

 

The woman in front of him - whom he assumed was his caretaker - not only had fuzzy ears, but also a lively tail. She was used to this being pointed out every time a patient would wake up, but this time... she was slightly rattled as her nose shifted to a soft pink. "Er, um... Kite, yes? Am I saying it right? My name is Doctor Blythe. Uh, let's see..." After hustling and bustling around for her clipboard, she cleared her throat and straightened herself back up. "So, h-how are you feeling at this moment, Kite?"

 

"Confused."

 

"Ah. Well yes, according to the records I have, you... seem to have... don't freak out..." She flipped a page or two, then flipped them both back, then put on a scary face. "Dun dun dun... a parasite!"

 

Kite stared at her blankly, not _too_ taken aback, given his long history of studying and coming into straight contact with unknown organisms; there was definitely a plausible way he contracted this. "I see...” Although he really, really hated hospitals, so he wondered what kind of hellish treatment he would have to endure - he could only hope for something quick and painless, like medicine or some type of shot.

 

"We took x-rays and blood, and well, according to the results plus your recent symptoms, it undoubtedly looks to be a..." Blythe took out her phone from her coat pocket and showed him what looked akin to a fat caterpillar. "Dun dun duuuuun! A vulpursanosis worm!" She stumbled a bit over the first word, but at least she pronounced it correctly. 

 

Kite took the phone from her and inspected the microscopic photo very closely. It looked completely alien, but simultaneously, he felt like he saw it in a biology book or two. “Where... does it come from?” was his next question.

 

“Exposure to infected foxbear feces. You do biological surveys, don’t you?”

 

“Yes,” he answered, giving the device back to her. “I, er, am a contract hunter.”

 

"Mmm-hmmm, mmm-hmmm," she very audibly scribbled on her clipboard with her Hello Kitty pen as Kite continued on. “Then I definitely see. This is an incredibly rare parasite with only 14 confirmed cases in history! It somewhat feels like an honor to… uh, I mean, I’m ecstatic to be treating you, Mr. ~Contract Hunter~.”

 

“Just please tell me it’s not fatal, and there is available treatment here.”

 

"Well, let's see. Hmmm. Hmmmm." Blythe just left Kite in anticipation as she tried to balance the pen with her upper lip. Finally she continued, "So, since we found the worm nesting up in your brain, brain surgery is definitely required if you want to live.” The pen drops on the floor.

 

“Ah. Jeez.” Even worse than Kite initially thought.

 

“Don’t worry, brain surgery is my specialty! The operating room is currently being prepped for you right now, and-”

 

“W-Wait, we’re doing the surgery _now?_ ” 

 

“Oh, Mr. Kite! If we stall any longer, the parasite will not only take full control of you, it will cause your brain to form cysts. Even worse, assuming it hasn’t already started happening by now… it will lay eggs, hundreds of them, and it and it’s babies will start to eat the brain bit by bit by bit… starting from the medulla.” Dr. Blythe said all of this extremely nonchalantly, leaving Kite a little petrified. "Just kidding! The last part is from a horror movie I watched last night."


	2. Chapter 2

After Dr. Blythe carefully explained the whole procedure to Kite, he only had one question for her. "You're not going to shave off all my hair for this, are you?" 

 

"You will have an incision on your scalp," Blythe answered, "But it can be easily hidden with some styling, or a hat. I'm afraid I can't guarantee that the hair will grow back in that spot, however."

 

Damn. At least one spot of baldness was better than the whole head, he thought.

 

"My partner, Dr. Yorkshire, will be helping with the surgery. She'll come in and wheel you to the operating room." Blythe stood up and turned. "Don't be nervous. Despite the brain being an extremely crucial organ, and that one little mistake we could always make resulted into absolute catastrophic changes to your behavior or motor skills, everything _should_ be alright."

 

And like that, before Kite could even cringe, Blythe left the room and the hospital fell eerily silent - even the phones seemed to have stopped ringing. Soon enough, though, another lady in white entered the room. She, too, had cute fuzzy ears, but she looked nothing like Blythe - she had viridian hair and round glasses, and just seemed warmer and gentler in appearance. He had assumed this was Dr. Yorkshire, her partner.

 

"Hello, Mr. Kite," she carefully took Kite's hand and gave it a firm shake. "I'm Dr. Yorkshire. You seem a bit unnerved."

 

"Ah," Kite laughed dryly, "Well, of course..."

 

"Did Blythe try to scare you, or anything?"

 

"What?"

 

"Did she tell you about the high possibility of screwing up your brain during the operation, or rather the parasite's offspring consuming all of it, suddenly disappearing from the room without answering any further questions?"

 

"Uh... yes, that's exactly what she did."

 

Yorkshire sighed deeply. "I tell her again and again to stop doing that with our patients..." She re adjusted her glasses and continued, "I'm sorry about that. It takes literally months for a vulpursanosis worm to actually settle in and lay eggs. And the operation is quick and painless, I assure you."

 

Kite's shoulders dropped as he finally relaxed. "Thank you, Dr. Yorkshire. I really can't stand hospitals..." 

 

"Don't worry, I completely understand. We're going to take one more blood test before we go."

 

Kite's stomach turned when he thought about getting pricked by that damned needle. As Yorkshire left to collect the supplies, she ran into Blythe, who was just coming back to report that the operating room was ready and thoroughly cleaned and sanitized for the next surgical patient. She seemed bouncy and excited until Yorkshire suddenly biffed her in the forearm, drawing a bit of attention from the hospital visitors.

 

_"Neyow!"_

 

She scolded her in a hushed tone, "I thought we had an agreement about your fear mongering." 

 

"I know, I know," Blythe whined, "I wasn't planning to, but... this one was just so cuuute, I couldn't help but rattle him up just a _little_ bit..."

 

"You’re terrible, but regardless, I'm going to need you to get serious. I know we just have to take out a worm, but it's still brain surgery."

 

"Okay~ I've had my coffee."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N thanks for the comments omg

It had been an entire day and a half since the brain operation. They kept Kite on plenty of sedatives so he wouldn't wake up in too much pain. Dr. Blythe and Dr. Yorkshire expected family or friends to come visit Kite afterwards, but no one had even asked for him. Blythe couldn’t help but feel bad, so every now and then she would sit with him for a bit and listen to his soft breathing - Yorkshire was often too busy.

 

Dr. Paladiknight would walk in and out to check Kite's vitals occasionally.

 

"He's doing fine," he told Dr. Blythe, "Go on and take a break."

 

"But I am taking a break." She looked tired, and crossed her legs impatiently. Anytime now, Kite should be awake again. “I feel bad for him, alright? That no one has visited him. And I want to be here when he wakes up.”

 

Paladiknight sat down in one of the other armchairs in the room and recorded the current progress of improvement in Kite’s health on a sheet of paper. Blythe profoundly ignored his presence, suddenly tensing up when he spoke again, “Hey, you know you left your jacket at my house the other night. It’s in my car.”

 

Her fingers curled up as her face turned bright red. “Ah. Thank you.” Her head lowered. _God, I still can’t believe I --_ She then noticed, out of the corner of her eye, that Kite had finally begun to stir. He struggled to open his eyes, again, but this time, the bright lighting of the room was almost unbearable to him. 

 

“Ah, Kite, don’t strain, don’t strain...“ Dr. Blythe briefly turned to dim the lights for him, then gently took his hand, apprehensively tracing circles on the skin with her thumb. Had she not felt Dr. Paladiknight lingering over her, she would, without really thinking, have also held it up to her lips for a quick but sincere kiss of consolation. “Kite, do you remember me?” 

 

“Doctor… Blythe,” Kite gravelly called out her name as his eyelids fluttered and nervously ran his fingers through his hair. “Doctor Blythe, is my hair okay? You didn’t cut it all off, did you?”

 

“Er, m-more importantly, aren’t you in any pain?” Paladiknight readjusted his glasses in astonishment that this was Kite’s main concern. He could have become completely paralyzed from the neck down, a vegetable at best, but his hair was the top priority.

 

“Ah, well… I’ve a headache…”

 

“Of course, I’ll get some painkillers. Excuse me.”

 

“Just as we planned,” Blythe spoke softly to him as soon as Paladiknight left the room, “You only have but a scar, Kite.” 

 

He very gently touched around his scalp, feeling more of his hair and suddenly - a bald spot with fresh stitches. He knows he can easily hide it, but regardless, he sinks down in his bed enough that Dr. Blythe noticed.

 

“Your surgery went well. Aren’t you relieved? Would you like to see the parasite? Dr. Yorkshire has it concealed in a jar for prevention research.”

 

“N-no. I’m alright,” Kite cheeped. 

 

“Are you sure? It’s incredible! It has so many legs!” Blythe excitedly leaned in closer and closer to his face of which was completely devoid of any color. When Dr. Paladiknight returned with the pain medication, she backed away from him immediately, a tinge of pink now on her nose.


	4. Chapter 4

During her lunch break, Dr. Blythe went out with Dr. Paladiknight to retrieve her jacket. There was a painful, awkward silence lingering in their atmosphere, until they left the building and entered the parking garage. As they were alone, Paladiknight broke the ice by wrapping his arm around Blythe's waist and pulling her closer to him. 

 

"Leorio..." Blythe murmured his name so quietly that he, of course, failed to hear her over the sound of the everyday commotion and zooming cars from the city surrounding them. She detested his move, but for some reason couldn't muster the courage to speak up louder or push him away, so she stayed put. 

 

Paladiknight had a very nice and fairly new black BMW and, in the passenger window, Blythe saw her jacket neatly placed on the headrest of the car seat. She couldn’t help but remember enjoying those late night drives around with him. The windows cracked open just a touch, no music on the radio. Blythe laughing heartily, Paladiknight’s hand on the wheel, the other resting on her thigh... She had the urge to hide her face now. The sound of the car door unlocking and opening brought her mind back down to Earth, and very hastily she snatched her garment. 

 

“Th-Thank you,” she uttered to him, “I-”

 

“You’re not in a hurry, are you? I was hoping to take you out for lunch again.” Paladiknight inched towards her, but she only stepped back. “Pitou?”

 

“I’ve something to do.”

 

“Oh, then... call me, at least?”

 

“Y-Yeah!”

 

“See you l-”

 

Blythe awkwardly but hurriedly scampered away before Paladiknight could do or say anything else. As he then left momentarily to grab his lunch, Blythe bought hers at the hospital’s cafeteria, as stale and runny as it usually was. But she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, what with waiting for Kite to wake up and all, so just about anything will do. Something you can’t actually ruin, like a fish salad or some cereal. She wondered about Kite, wondering what he could stomach; he wouldn’t need much as long as it had fiber and nutrients, so perhaps a fruit bar and a bottle of milk from the nearby vending machine. 

 

Dr. Yorkshire had just successfully helped and discharged a former suicidal patient, so to say she was overwhelmingly anguished was an understatement. On her way to treat herself to some cookies and lemonade, she met up with Blythe. 

 

“Oh, Pitou,” she spoke, “I’m assuming Kite has woken up.”

 

Blythe grinned wide. “Yes! He’s doing well, isn’t that great? I know we sometimes sit together, so I hope you don’t mind if I go and eat with him this time.”

 

“I don’t mind. I’m glad you’re the one keeping him company…” Yorkshire exhaled, scratching her head. “I just spent three hours trying to talk to a patient out of suicide while waiting for an actual therapist to come help them. I know how important it is to be there for someone.”

 

“Cheadle, will you be alright?”

 

“Don’t worry so much about me, go see how Kite is doing.” 

 

Blythe ended up selecting a salmon and egg sandwich for herself, and a cup of sliced fruit generously covered in granola and greek yogurt for Kite. If he didn’t like it, she could always eat it herself with no problem, and buy him whatever he actually craved - but for now, this was a surprise. Meanwhile, Kite struggled to find something watchable on the old television. It was a good sign; he remembered everything as it once was, like how a remote control works. His motor skills seemed unaltered as well, when he got up to stretch his legs and walk around the room…

 

“I hope I’m not interrupting TV tii~ime,” Blythe crooned as she walked in, taking Kite by slight surprise. 

 

“Oh, absolutely not.” If he actually _did_ find something to watch, it was usually on Animal Planet, but he wasn’t sure if this hospital even had that channel. 

 

“Taa-daa! I brought you a fruit cup. Let’s eat together.” 

 

“Well, thank you.” Kite was pleasantly surprised, as he was feeling rather empty.

 

“If you want more, let me know. I’ll get you anything!” She unwrapped her sandwich and took a big, sloppy bite. “Mmm! God, I swear they’re starving me around here!” 

 

As she continued to ache and moan about her day with her mouth completely full, Kite took one spoonful of the fruit cup. The granola was nice and crunchy, the yogurt sweet and thick, not to mention the fruit was crisp and juicy. He was in heaven as it felt like forever since he’s last eaten. He wasn’t sure who Blythe was complaining about now, but she kept her voice quiet; he nodded his head over and over to present that he was listening to her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N I know these chapters are dumb short but I think that's just how I write bear w/ me and THANK U again for the sweet comments aaaaaaaa

Blythe had just finished her sandwich while Kite still had a bit more yogurt to finish, but he had put it aside for now. “Dr. Blythe, I… have a favor.”

 

“Yes, Kite?”

 

“May I pet your ears?” 

 

“H-Huh?”

 

“Your ears. I want to pet them, they’re really cute.”

 

She slowly began to scoot on closer towards him, trying not to look him _directly_ in the eye, desperately hoping it hadn’t been too long since she last washed her hair. Alas, she really couldn’t remember off the top of her head - it’s very late when she gets home and hates going to bed with her hair all wet, so she usually just opts for dry shampoo. It worked very well at making her tresses smell and look okay, so Kite _probably_ wouldn’t notice her lack of special grooming, but she didn’t turn down the possibility seeing how he literally owned the hair belonging to that of an angel, even after brain surgery. He had to know a lot about hair, and when it looks greasy. 

 

So far, he hasn’t said anything. He was just simply focused on being gentle with her ears. Very carefully his fingers massaged them in a circular motion. It gave Blythe goosebumps.

 

“I bet you’re really popular with the sick kids that are admitted here, since you have such perky ears and tail,” Kite said.

 

“Oh. Yeah.” But Blythe sounded miffed. “They love pulling on them, too.”

 

“Ha ha. I guess you’re not really a fan of kids.”

 

“Are you?” She looked up slightly. 

 

“They’re alright.”

 

“Um… well…” 

 

Kite stopped rubbing as he noticed there was a bit of distress in the adorable doctor’s voice.

 

“Would you ever have kids?” She blurted out. 

 

“Eh? Me? Well… it’s not like a huge life goal of mine or anything. I guess it’s whatever my spouse really wants.”

 

Blythe let out a huge sigh of relief, but she kept it quiet. After a minute or two, Kite stopped, not wanting her neck to get stiff. “Thank you for that, Dr. Blythe.”

 

“N-No problem.”

 

“How much longer until I’m discharged?”

 

“Er, well, Dr. Paladiknight notified me that he wants you here for at least a week. We just opened up your head, you know... It’s too dangerous for you to go back to your daily routine so soon.” Blythe noticed Kite’s disappointment with her response, but she encouraged him with a large, sharp-toothy grin. “I will stop at nothing to make sure you’re comfortable and satisfied during your stay here. Is there anything you want now? Your pillows fluffed, or clean blankets perhaps?”

 

“Heh, no, I’m alright.”

 

“If you insist. I’ll be on break again in about an hour or two. I’ll come see you then.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Well…” Blythe’s face went a little red. “I mean… I want to keep you company. If that’s fine. Er… no, I mean… n-no one’s even come to see you yet, so…”

 

“Ahh, Dr. Blythe, I appreciate your kindness. Thanks for that.”

 

“Ehehehe, I just hate it when my patients are lonely.” Dr. Blythe so sweetly bluffed like the little devil she was, as she had actually never stayed with a patient as much as she had with Kite.


	6. Chapter 6

Dr. Blythe wheeled Kite out of the hospital one morning for some fresh air. Around the vicinity was a courtyard with an extensive garden, prominently fragranced. It brought peace to Kite, as did the sunshine finally touching his skin once more. 

 

However, the peaceful and serene environment still brought melancholy to Dr. Blythe, as this was where terminally ill patients usually went to enjoy their last few days on Earth.

 

“Hey, doctor,” started Kite, but Blythe promptly corrected him.

 

“You have permission to just call me Pitou. Please.”

 

“Pitou...” The crisp, outdoor air he was always accustomed to was actually almost foreign to him now. He would get plenty of it whenever Dr. Yorkshire offered to open up a nearby window, but to have it completely fill his nostrils resurrected his soul. “Thank you for this. I missed this so dearly.” He reached out to run his thumb against the soft petal of a nearby rose.

 

“You really like flowers? What kind do you like the most?”

 

“All different kinds, I suppose. Hydrangeas, foxtail lilies.” Kite looked around to see that they were completely alone. 

 

“What’s wrong? It’s just us.” Pitou knew this, too; and she made sure. She notified the hospital staff that the courtyard was temporarily closed because of a recent insecticide treatment that she paid for herself. She was surprised to have gotten away with it, even though Dr. Yorkshire seemed suspicious. 

 

“Nothing. Well, my scar.”

 

“Self-conscious?” 

 

“I can’t enjoy the breeze as much when I can feel it hit my bald spot.”

 

“I guess that’s true,” Pitou giggled at him, “But, don’t let that ruin this moment.” She examined the scar carefully. Kite didn’t flinch from pain this time. Very carefully, she combed his hair with her fingers as her heart skipped a beat. The feel of it was compelling. She took a handful of the hair over to where the bare area was, covering it fully and secured with a bobby pin. “Ta-da.”

 

One side of Kite’s hair was basically pinned to the other, almost making it look like he had a buzz cut gone wrong and tried to hide it. Now the left side of Kite’s head was exposed, but it was much less embarrassing. The feeling of Pitou’s sharp nails against his scalp felt lovely, so he certainly didn’t protest when she continued on. She tried to make it look a bit less awkward by taking the loose hair that remained, and braiding it. 

 

After a while of listening to the birds and cicadas, Kite asked Pitou, who was still playing with his hair, “I’m assuming you’re not very busy today?”

 

“Hmmm?”

 

“Since you’re still here with me. You don’t have a lot of patients today?”

 

“Oh, I always have patients,” she replied. “But it’s my day off today.”

 

“Why are you not at home?”

 

“To see you.”

 

“But, I’m better. And, you stayed with me yesterday…” In response to that, she playfully tugged on Kite’s hair. “Hey, ouch…”

 

“You don’t _know_ you’re better yet,” she pouted.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> your comments keep me alive arigatou y'all  
> this chapter is it's t h e chapter. T H E CHAPTER.

“Kite, what do you do for fun? Tell me every little detail about you,” Pitou asked before loudly taking a large sip of the honey chamomile tea she had fetched from the cafeteria. Her feet dangled and swung back and forth from the wooden settee bench, the black flats on her feet slightly sliding off. 

 

As for Kite, he was never usually asked this sort of question, so he had to stop a ponder a bit. “Camping, I suppose,” he finally answered. He then went to take a sip of tea as well, but his was still too hot as it tickled his lips. 

 

“Tell me more, tell me more.”

 

“I do enjoy a good adventure novel.”

 

“Oohh?”

 

“You like to read?” Kite thought she sounded a bit more excited about that than camping. “Or are you sick of it after med school?”

 

“I still love to read. But I prefer horror novels.”

 

“The bloodier, the better?”

 

“Yes!”

 

He laughed at her response, and went to sip his tea again. Still a bit hot, but not to the point where he’d burn off his taste buds. It was very smooth and sweet, almost like a candy bar. 

 

“I don’t know how to explain it, but whenever I see blood, I don’t feel fear or disgust like most people would. I feel _equanimity._ I’m not trying to creep you out, or anything… it’s just such a beautiful, dark shade of red, it tickles me. It’s like I can’t get enough of it.”

 

“I suppose… that’s a good thing. Considering, well, you know.” Kite felt his stomach do a small flip, and he wondered if anyone in the building would hear him if he screamed for help. “How much you see it everyday.”

 

Pitou bursted out giggling after observing the uneasiness on his face, just like when she scared him on day one. “Okay, okay, next question. What do you think you’d be doing if you weren’t a biologist?”

 

Still not letting his guard down, Kite thought for a minute. “I’m not sure.”

 

The sun concealed itself behind some clouds, the sky growing dim. Pitou inched a bit closer to Kite. They enjoyed this momentary silence, observing two monarch butterflies fluttering around for pollen.

 

Pitou almost didn’t mention it, but she swallowed and decided to. “Before I wanted to become a doctor,” she mused, “I wanted to become a famous dancer.”

 

“Dancer, huh? What kind?”

 

“Haha… well…” She nervously ran her finger around the rim of her teacup. “B… Burlesque.”

 

Kite was a bit taken aback, expecting her to say ballet, or bolero. He suddenly laughed, rattling her to the point of almost spilling her tea.

 

“Wh-What’s funny?!”

 

“Nothing, I just didn’t see that coming. So, what on earth made you change your mind?”

 

“It just felt to me as if becoming a doctor and a surgeon would be more prominent.” 

 

“Ah, yes. I see.” The sun peeked out once more, followed by another moment of silence. This time, it was painfully awkward for Pitou, so she sipped her tea loudly. She jumped a bit when she heard Kite speak up again, in what seemed to be in a more smug tone of voice. “So? Are you or are you not going to show me some dancing while we’re outside here?”

 

“I shouldn’t have told you _anything_.” She set aside her tea, stood up, and pulled out her cell phone. “Laugh at me and you die.” 

 

Kite snickered and got comfortable in his wheelchair while Pitou picked out a song. It was a melody reminiscent of classical with a touch of avant-garde. Her body was noticeably stiff at first, but eventually relaxed more and more as she moved along. The movements she performed were delicate, yet agile; a somewhat tasteful blend of ballet and zumba.

 

Pitou suddenly twirled towards Kite’s direction and reached out. He looked at her hand, then up at her, and her hand again. “Uh?”

 

“I’ll hold onto you real tight,” she told him. “Let’s do it slowly.”

 

She very carefully made sure Kite was fully standing and able to keep his balance after being lifted from the wheelchair. He blushed when he noticed how close she suddenly was. Pitou instructed him on where to move his feet and together, they performed a very gentle waltz-like dance. Kite was too busy looking down, being very careful as his legs slightly wobbled here and there. He nearly fell over when he felt something soft and berry flavored crash into his lips.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh I tried to upload this yesterday so much for that  
> anyways we're finally done here with the courtyard scene, and pitou goes school days on kite  
> poor kite did not expect any part of this situation nor did he know how to handle it

Pitou gasped sharply, immediately pulling Kite away. She turned his back to him, burying her face in her hands and just whimpering about, “O-Oh. Kite, you’re so awfully straightforward.”

 

“Hey! I-I didn’t mean to!” Kite had the urge to hide his face as well. He could have sworn it was all a deplorable mishap. “I must have nearly lost my balance, and I sincerely apolo -”

 

She suddenly turned, closing in on him and capturing him by the lips again. This time, she very delightfully threw her arms around his neck, pecking him over and over. “It’s true,” she stopped to say. “It’s true, I love you this much!”

 

Kite, too surprised to form a proper sentence, plopped back down in his chair and looked up at her questionably. 

 

“And I hope, despite that, you’ll still let me be your doctor.”

 

“Of… of course, Pitou,” Kite eventually coughed out, “You’re a wonderful doctor, so I feel it would be wrong for me to just push you away…”

 

“I kissed you without consent,” Pitou’s toes noticeably wriggled in her flats from anxiety. 

 

“Hey, hey, don’t worry too much about it…” Ah, she was being really cute, and Kite didn’t mind the kiss at all, but he wasn’t going to just tell her that… 

 

“But then… what about me? I love you, Kite, does that mean you can you accept that?”

 

“I…” He shrunk in his wheelchair, dismally embarrassed, beginning to think that Pitou murdering him for his blood was the better scenario. The thing was, he had to pretend to stop and think about it for a long while instead of just immediately saying yes. It was just always a thing - the perverted guy preying on ditsy nurses and beautiful doctors, he would feel somewhat grotesque if he did accept to be her lover so quickly. “Please. Let me think about it.”

 

“Oh, then… you haven’t already…?”

 

“Eh… no, of course not…?”

 

She sheepishly turned around, staying quiet. She murmured a few words that were incomprehensible, but before Kite could ask her to repeat herself, she raised her voice. “I’m sorry I’m giving you this burden to deal with. If I could, I would… open up my own head and amend my brain so that I can’t feel these treacherous emotions anymore.” 

 

Pitou plucked the same rose Kite was admiring earlier and crushed it with her bare hand, thorns pricking her skin. As blood began to stream down her fingers, she turned the opposite way to look at him. “I’ve been through it before, and it just _hurts._ So if you were you to deny me now, I could… I could just…” She released her hand, rose petals and droplets of the blood descending to the concrete. Obsessively, she began to lick the fluid that remained on her hands. 

 

“I’ll open up your head again, but this time, I’ll cut out your cerebrum so you can’t run from me.  
You will be a vegetable, but at least you will be with me, truly, forever and…” She failed to finish as she suddenly began to guffaw, grabbing her stomach and nearly falling over. “Damn it, that really did hurt, but you should really see your face right now...”

 

Had anyone else passed by the courtyard at this moment, they certainly would think they’d have seen a ghost, simply in comparison to how grossly pale Kite became.


	9. Chapter 9

Very briefly after that day's stimulating events, Dr. Paladiknight found a suspicious spike in Kite's blood pressure. "Well, this is a bit... unusual,” he advised. “No worries, give me a minute. I’ll be back with medication.”

 

Before he left the room, Kite informed him that today was just a bit more "eventful" than usual. 

 

"Finally had guests, eh?"

 

"Well, yes. Dr. Blythe."

 

Dr. Paladiknight immediately frowned upon hearing this, as he can never even get Pitou to come into work on her off days when there are patients in critical condition. The most she would ever do is answer the phone and try to walk Dr. Paladiknight through a necessary procedure. He would be having a panic attack, as the lives of those patients completely rest in his hands, all the while Pitou is out getting a pedicure at a salon that is only a block away from the hospital - but so far, despite this, he’s been pretty lucky.

 

“Er, I guess she was just checking on me,” Kite continued after the atmosphere in the room suddenly seemed altered.

 

“Oh, well, right. Excuse me...” He cleared his throat, wandering back out in the hallway to notify an available nurse to bring Kite the proper medication he needed. As for Paladiknight, he was just on his way for a lunch break, assuming that nothing else goes wrong. An hour to himself was all he needed.

 

His plan was to avoid conversation and possible favors from other doctors and nurses on his way down to the cafeteria corridor by pulling out his phone and dialing Pitou’s number. She normally wouldn’t pick up unless he tried three to four times. 

 

He pretended to be talking to someone else until she picked up, at last. “What?”

 

“It’s me. Don’t worry, I’m not calling you in or anything.”

 

“I-I’m in the middle of something right now.” 

 

“Don’t worry, I won’t be long… I just…” he swallowed and apprehensively ran his fingers through his hair. “I just want to see you again… well, alone… dinner, breakfast, anything. So, my house or yours?”

 

Pitou emitted a breathy sound. He wasn’t sure if it was a laugh, a sigh, or a sob. “I…”

 

“Is there something wrong? What’s been going on?”

 

“Everything’s great. I’ve just been stressed.”

 

“That’s why I’ve been trying to see you.”

 

“Mm?”

 

“I was thinking we could take a vacation together somewhere. We both need it.”

 

“A-Actually, yes. Come over. For dinner. Wednesday.”

 

“Okay. I love you.”

 

“Okay.” _Click._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will try to be writing something else for Femslash February (hopefully before February actually ends) ... So this might be going on a little break. (=^･ｪ･^=))ﾉ彡☆


	10. Chapter 10

On her days off, Pitou rarely ever moved; she was still in bed at four in the afternoon and Dr. Paladiknight had just texted her to let her know he was able to get off in time for their dinner. She gave the text a quick, apathetic glance before ignoring it and continued on browsing through her Zulily app. She was too busy wondering what clothes Kite likes on a woman.

 

Until Paladiknight sent her another text. _“So, what did you figure out?”_

Pitou rolled her eyes and grunted, wanting to ignore this one too. But she also wanted this whole thing over with already. _”Uh chicken parmesan,”_ she responded. Nothing too time consuming or super fancy, but still looking like an effort was made. Some cooked noodles, chicken sprinkled with shredded cheese slapped on top, and she would be done.

 

_”You make the best chicken parmesan, you know that? :) I really do mean it when I say I love it better than Olive Garden’s.”_

 

 _”Ahahahaha,”_ she cringed.

 

_”I guess I love it so much because you make it.”_

 

_”I just buy all the ingredients from the dollar store :\”_

 

_”That’s irrelevant, you can make anything into a masterpiece”_

 

 _”Shouldn’t you be driving right now?”_

 

_”Okay, you got me.”_

 

Helplessly tossing the phone aside after that, she hopped out of bed to take a cold shower and change clothes. Pitou wasn’t sure why, but she felt as if this was going to be more troublesome than she previously expected. 

 

Then, later, very sluggishly, she made preparations for the chicken parmesan. 

 

 _”Pulling up,”_ Paladiknight texted her.

 

 _”Door is unlocked”_

 

He got out and walked into the familiar home, being sure to remove his shoes before doing so. Pitou had thrown on a casual t-shirt and jean shorts. No house shoes for her, though, as she liked to be barefoot around the house. She awkwardly glanced his way. "Hi. Leorio."

 

"It smells amazing in here!" 

 

"H-Hey, Leorio... after we eat, I want to talk about something." She didn't turn away when he bent down to kiss her this time. 

 

So mundane, she truly felt that the spark between them had undeniably departed.

 

The chicken had finished thawing, and was ready to put in the oven; after doing so, she prepared a pot of fresh water for the noodles. While she surely thought Leorio had made himself at home on the couch or on her bed by now, he instead had snuck up on her and hugged her from behind. In outright surprise, she yelped and dropped the pan - which _was_ full of water, but now it had splattered all over the floor and across the torso of her shirt. A little bit had also managed to land on the legs of Leorio’s dress pants.

 

She spun around, not sure whether to hiss at him, grab a towel, or retrieve the pot first.

 

Leorio desperately tried to hold back his frivolous laughing, and ignore the fact that Pitou’s shirt was now clung ever so tightly around her chest which now revealed her scanty bra underneath. The only way to actually do this was to fetch her some dry clothes. “Babe, I really am sorry,” he yelled to her as he shot out of the kitchen.

 

Once he returned, grinning apologetically, Pitou snatched the clothes out of his hands and retreated to the bathroom.

 

“Pitou, are you really that mad at me? H-Hey, come back…”

 

She darted around with tears in her eyes, and - oh, Leorio, don’t look down, whatever you do - she yelled out, “You’re still as reckless as ever, Leorio! Mmmmmph!!”

 

“What’s wrong? Why are you so uptight?”

 

“I already told you, I’m stressed.” She turned again to go change, blubbering a little bit of something else unintelligible along the way. 

 

“Is it because of the vulpursanosis patient? He’s been doing surprisingly well other than a few spikes in his blood pressure here and there.”

 

“Treating something I know so little about…” Pitou walked back out, all changed and dry, save for her runny nose.

 

“But things are looking up, Pitou. This morning Cheadle recently found out that the worm showed a negative reaction to ginseng, so it’s possible that can be used as future treatment and maybe prevention as well.”

 

_”How can I tell you this, Leorio? That the condition itself isn’t the problem. It’s that I so badly want to choose my patient over you. How can I tell you this?_

_Regardless of what I do, I feel like I’m going to break.”_


	11. Chapter 11

Pitou succumbed to keeping it all together. “Leorio,” she whimpered, and began crying for real this time. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do.”

 

“What are you talking about? What do you not know?” At a complete loss of what else to do, he took her in for a hug. 

 

“I need to sort my feelings out but I’m not sure hooooww! Guuuuhhhh!” Pitou grossly bawled into his chest, careless if any snot or drool managed to get on his clothes. “Why do I feel like this? I don’t want to, I don’t…”

 

“Hey, come on. Forget about fixing dinner. I’ll order something for us instead.”

 

“Pizza?”

 

“Anything you want.”

 

“...Okay.” This managed to calm her down, the thought of pizza. Leorio kissed her forehead and her tail went straight up. He proceeded to her ears, her cheeks, her chin, and finally her lips. The sensations tickled. Pitou’s scent drew him back in, and he ravished her lips some more. He snorted when he heard her squeak. “This makes me feel weird.”

 

“We... haven’t done it in a while, have we?”

 

“Well, no.”

 

“Do you want to?”

 

“N-No… Leorio, stop tempting me. I’ve already made a decision…”

 

“Pitou?”

 

Her tail began to thrash about as she backed away forthwith. “D-Don’t call me that anymore. It’s Doctor Blythe from now on.”

 

“Are you really… please stay and tell me why.” Leorio dwindled, but sustained himself. It’s the vulpursanosis patient... am I right?” Pitou was pretty clever to allocate her long hours spent with Kite as “research and nothing more,” but Leorio had a habit of just watching and admiring her during occasions when he wasn’t busy. At first, he understood that she felt bad considering no one ever visited with Kite. He understood why she bought him flowers, food and gifts.

 

“Oh, come on, Leorio. You’re full of shit.”

 

But it had just gotten to the point where it just became eccentric. The fact that, sometimes, her patients would actually get out of their beds and wander around the vicinity to look for her. It was pure negligence on her part. 

 

“Okay, Pitou. Next time you see me, pretend you don’t know me.” Leorio wasn’t the type of man to just stand and argue. It never helps anything. He already knew everything that was going on, despite Pitou’s quarrels. No reason to call her out on it here. 

 

“Then…” Pitou couldn’t understand why she was holding back tears. She quickly approached Leorio before he could even attempt to turn and walk off. The jealousy in his blood seemed to subside when she pulled him in for what she thought was their final kiss. Her ears began to wiggle as she slowly felt the cold air, very gradually, meet her bare skin inch by inch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOPS
> 
> WHOOPS


	12. Chapter 12

_♬ See these eyes so red ♪♪_  
Red like jungle burning bright  
Those who feel me near  
Pull the blinds and change their minds ♪♪ 

 

Pitou suddenly stirred about, her hand desperately searching around the nightstand for her apparent blaring phone. Sunshine shone so brightly through her window that she could not fully open her eyes and adjust to the brightness. 

 

 _♬ It's been so long ♪♪_  
Still this pulsing night  
A plague I call a heartbeat  
Just be still with -- 

 

"Nnnn. Hello?"

 

"Hey, Pitou," Cheadle greeted on the other end. "Are you busy at the moment?"

 

"Who is it?" Leorio sleepily asked Pitou, drawing her closer.

 

"It's just Cheadle," she told him. 

 

"Is that Leorio with you? I thought you said you didn't -- "

 

"Oh, oh... ha ha. I-I did, but..." 

 

"Talk to you later, Cheadle," Leorio spoke up into the phone.

 

"H-Hey, what are you guys doing? I'm swamped with patients here this morning… y-you can’t spare an hour or two? Hello??”

 

Right when Pitou hung up, she had finally recalled where she was and who she was with, as a result of the events that happened the previous night. _Oh, yeah. Damn,_ she thought. Agitated, but still somewhat uncertain, she pulled herself free from both Leorio’s and the warm bed’s adamant grasp. _I don’t know where my clothes are._

 

Leorio just laid there, his arms still stretched out. He wondered if Pitou had finally made up her mind as she bumbled around. 

 

“I can make you coffee if you want,” she called out from another room. Still unable to find her attire, she decided to comb her hair just to get that step out of the way. 

 

“Sure.”

 

Pitou started to imagine what mornings would be like spent with Kite instead. She couldn’t see herself actually getting out of the bed then. She finally found her clothes, in the kitchen, right where Leorio stripped her. It _was_ pretty hot when he had her pinned down to the kitchen counter. “Mmmph.” She dismissed the thoughts and prepared the coffee.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I almost updated the wrong fic I'm hooting anyway I'm wondering who Pitou will decide to end up with??? We'll find out for sure when we return to the hospital next chapter.
> 
> Work has been absolutely kicking my ass so forgive the slower pace. Free gumdrops to whoever can recognize Pitou's ringtone, no Googling allowed


	13. Chapter 13

“Kite, Kite, did you think about me while I was gone?” She helped him up out of bed so he can walk his daily laps around the hospital wing.

 

“How could I not have?” He looked around at the parade of balloons and the garden of flowers she bought for him as they left the recovery room.

 

“He’s doing wonderful. I’m thinking about just discharging him already,” Cheadle told Pitou over from the receptionist’s desk.

 

Pitou clinged onto Kite protectively. “But... I looove taking care of him…”

 

“He can’t stay here forever.”

 

Had Kite really thought about… _it?_ Pitou ignored Cheadle like normal, and looked up at the beanstalk of a patient. She pouted cutely when he stared back at her, blankly. “Hmph, hmph. I can see something still seems off about him. He’ll stay with us for one more day.” Taking Kite by the arm with hers, they began their walk. 

 

“Hey, Pitou,” Kite piped up, “Something seems off about you, too.”

 

“Ah, um… well, yes, but…” She looked around curiously, negligent that her tail began to wrap up around his arm as well. “Um, do you remember what I said to you that day?”

 

Her warm fur tickled his skin, urging him to shiver. “That you’ll open my head back up and prod my brain so I can’t run away from you.” 

 

“Yes. But, there was something else.”

 

“You loved me.”

 

“W-Well? Have you thought about it?” Pitou blushed adorably, then continued with a more hush tone. “May I be your lover, Kite? I truly never want to ever stop taking care of you.”

 

Kite avoided the question by faking a sudden coughing fit. He excused himself to get a drink of water from a nearby fountain. Pitou twiddled her fingers awkwardly as she turned round to see that Cheadle had been watching everything. Pitou shot her a mean glance and turned back to Kite’s direction. 

 

Meanwhile, Dr. Paladiknight had approached their floor from the elevator and couldn’t help but notice the attention Kite had drawn.

 

“Kite? Are you okay?” he questioned. “Don’t be pushing him, Pitou...”

 

“H-Hey… I’m not pushing him…” She went over to Kite and rubbed his back. “There, there, are you alright now?” 

 

“Um. I’m okay… Pitou, may I be honest?”

 

“Of course!” Pitou quickly turned to shoo Dr. Paladiknight away.


	14. Chapter 14

“May I pet your ears again?” Kite asked Pitou, low enough so no one around can hear him. It couldn’t have been that strange of a request, but he was still embarrassed. He felt like it made him a pervert or something. 

 

“Of course. Kite, if you be with me, you’ll have the privilege to pet them anytime you want.”

 

Kite’s face pinkened at the thought. Having a set of warm, fuzzy, fluttery ears to pet whenever he wanted. It was almost just too much. Without further hesitation, he raised his hands and massaged the base of her ears gently, earning him a purr and a giggle. 

 

“What did you want to be honest with me about?” 

 

“If we get together… no more mad scientist kitty.” Kite clutched his heart. “At least, not around me. I don’t know how much more of that I can take from you.”

 

“That’s all I have to do?!” She squeaked, tearing up and cheeks flushing. She repeated herself more quietly and formally, “I mean… that’s all I have to do?”

 

“Yeah.” Kite ran his hand across his hair, focusing on his bald spot. This was beginning to become more of a habit, just from the idea of people around him staring crossing his mind. 

 

“That reminds me!!” Pitou lit back up, suddenly alarming him. “Gah! I left it in my car!” 

 

“Pitou,” Cheadle walked up and handed her a clipboard, forcing a smile, when she was really just irked by the attention she kept stirring up again. “There’s a patient for you in room 306. They said they’ve been suffering from chronic migraines for a while now. I can walk Kite back to his room.” Immediately knowing she would protest at the last sentence, she then covered up her mouth with her hand. “Please go.”

 

Pitou turned with her nose up in the air and left. 

 

“She’s really a child,” Cheadle turned to tell Kite, groaning. “Ever since you came here, I can hardly get her to do anything. She likes you that much.”

 

“Doctor Blythe is a handful. I’m thankful she at least gave me time to think about what I wanted. But then again, she said she would probe my brain if I said no.”

 

“Oh, goodness.” She took Kite by the arm. “Alright, back to your room. I’ll try to get you discharged this evening…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one more chapter bc 15 is a satisfying number !!!!!


	15. Chapter 15

“Okay, Kite, here are your clothes.” Cheadle handed him a bag with his signature turtleneck and black pants inside. “And don’t worry, we got them nice and clean for your convenience.”

 

“Thank you.” Kite was more than ecstatic to finally leave the hospital. He missed his home, the wildlife in his backyard, his house plants. 

 

“I will need your insurance and mailing informa --”

 

Pitou out of nowhere thundered through the hall, like a housecat with the 3 AM zoomies, then promptly halted at Cheadle’s desk. “And _I_ will be the one escorting you to your uber,” she advised Kite. “I know you’re ready to get out of this place, you’ve been through so much. Hurry it up, will you, Cheadle?”

 

“Insurance and mailing information,” she continued, her eye twitching.

 

When Kite filled out the paperwork, he felt little breaths from Pitou hit his neck. He glanced over to see her very impatiently waiting with her arms crossed on the desk. Her tail swung back and forth, and she looked just like a cat waiting to pounce on something. 

 

“Haha, Pitou, big plans?” Kite asked her.

 

“Huh? What does that mean? You know I wanted to take you out to a seafood buffet sometime.” She whined, and Kite was sure he heard her stomach growl. “Don’t tell me you already forgot…”

 

“You know I’m just kidding. You’re so cute.”

 

“Hmmph… well…” she presented her claws. “I want to be more _scary_ than cute. That’s why I’m a doctor. It’s so easy this way.” 

 

“Oh, well, you’re certainly good at that, too.” Kite handed the finished paperwork over to Cheadle and sighed. “So, is that it? Thank you for everything.”

 

“Of course, if anything out of the ordinary happens or if you experience any kind of pain that painkillers won’t fix, please contact us immediately.”

 

Kite sighed once again as he and Pitou left the wing together. “This is going to be really expensive.”

 

“But I can help!” she chirped. 

 

“Hey, don’t, you’ve already done enough for me.”

 

Pitou had her arm around Kite, but slowly let go when she saw Dr. Paladiknight join them in an elevator to the first floor. She was a bit afraid to see how he would react after what happened. 

 

“Finally on your way out, Kite?” but Dr. Paladiknight smiled regardless. “Don’t worry, Pitou will take very good care of you from here on out.”

 

“Thank you, doctor.” 

 

“Hey, Leorio,” Pitou skittishly spoke up, gripping at her dress, “Um. I’ll see you on Tuesday night. And… don’t worry, I want us to… um, you know, still eat lunch together.”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good. We’ll see you then.”

 

“Ah! Ye-yes!” 

 

Kite finally heard the sounds of civilization once again - car horns, trucks, people shouting. Though he preferred the more quiet countryside, it was just simply a relief to be out of the gross and stodgy hospital. It was a lot later in the day than he initially thought, as the sun was beginning to set. While he was confined, he almost completely lost his sense of time. Pitou walked him up to his uber.

 

“I’ll meet you at the restaurant tomorrow,” she said. “I should really let you go home and rest first.”

 

“Thank you, Pitou. I miss my bed.”

 

“And b-before you leave…” Pitou reached down into her pocketbook and pulled out a blue hat. “It’s not much. But you know… with your scar, and e-everything...”

 

“Oh? ...Thanks, you really didn’t have to…” Kite’s fingers slowly ran over the material. It was soft, and it fit comfortably on his head. “Uh… how do I look?”

 

“Like you never even had head surgery,” she stuck her tongue out at him.

 

Kite rubbed her ears in response. “See you tomorrow, Pitou.”


End file.
